Saturday, July 26, 2008

I'm just not feeling inspired. Not even a little. I've been reading like mad, but haven't had an inclination to update. Until now. So update the reading list I will. But not much else. I'm just not inspired.

Things that are crossed out have been done for this year.... even if it has to repeat next year.

Health and Fitness

1. Yoga at least 1x a week, for 6 months2. Run or walk at least 1x a week for 4 months3. Drink 80 ounces of water a day4. Floss at least once a day for 1 month5. Go to the dentist for teeth cleaning 1x per year6. Get flu shot7. Get annual check ups done both at my OBGYN and my regular doc8. Have eyes checked annually

14. Read 52 books/year15. Finish Thesis proposal16. Finish Thesis17. File for Graduation18. Graduate19. Go on a Starbucks fast for an entire month once a year.20. Burke-Williams at least 3 times a year.21. Hair cut at least every 8 weeks22. For a month, go back to low carb, low fat diet23. For a month, record everything I eat24. Pedicures at least every other month for a year.

Creativity

25. Have something written for writing group at least every other month for a year26. Attend writing group at least every other month for a year27. Attempt at least one month of 365 Days photos (sure... it's only 30 or 31 days but still....)28. Make a cart cover29. Knit a lap blanket30. Make a fuzzy back up blanket for Noah31. Make a fuzzy blanket for Grace32. Hem all the pants that are floating around the house33. Quilt a quilt for myself

Environmental

34. Use travel mug at least twice for every 6 visits to a coffee place35. Buy bottled water no more than once a month (use Nalgene!)36. Bring at least two cloth bags each time I go to the grocery store

Baby-Related

37. Learn and use baby signs38. Sign up for a gymboree class for one session and try it39. Go to Mommy and Me Yoga at least once a month for 6 months.40. Go to a GM event41. Create a year in retrospect of Noah and Grace's pictures.

Giving back

42. Donate blood once a year.43. Locate one charity and make a donation in the names of friends and family for holidays for one holiday season44. Volunteer for Parent Connection at HMH.45. Donate extra preemie clothes to HMH.46. Cull classroom library and donate books.

Culture and Entertainment

47. Go OUT to the movies at least twice a year48. Go to Huntington Gardens at least 6 times a year.49. Go to the Getty Center at least once50. Go to LACMA at least once51. Take the baby to see the horses being exercised at Santa Anita52. Join a children's museum53. Set and keep date nights every other week for 6 months.54. Start a small book group

Financial

55. Set a Starbucks budget and stick to it for each month.56. Create a 529 Account for Noah and Grace57. Put $1/day in an ING savings for a year58. Create an ING savings account for Christmas.59. STICK to what is in the account for holiday gifts.60. Collect all change for a year.61. Roll change and deposit in credit union for N & G.

Travel

62. Go to PNW to see Julia and Gordon.63. Go to Ohio to see Mom and Dad.64. Pick and arrange a Thanksgiving location that will be affordable.65. Go camping with K and N once66. Go to Bay Area for delayed weekend away67. Take Katie and babies to Wild Animal Park68. See Keith and Rebecca

Purchases

69. Buy a car seat for a bigger sized baby.70. Buy flowers four times a year.71. Buy at least one bra that fits correctly72. Buy a new bath towels73. Buy a cable for the printer

Connecting

74. Send a thinking of you card twice a month for 6 months to friends.75. Call a family member ever week for 3 months.76. Send a "Family letter" in the summer instead of at Christmas77. Send random holiday cards, such as Valentine's Day cards, st. pat's cards, etc. to friends and family, cycling through everyone at least once.78. Update address book and put it on the computer

Cooking and Food

79. Cook and eat at home at least twice a week.80. Make soup once a month81. In winter, spring and fall, roast vegetables once a month82. In summer, grill vegetables once a month.83. Eat vegetables at least once a day84. When eating dinner or lunch out, every other time order a salad85. Try a new recipe at least 4 times a year86. Bake cookies at least once per winter87. For one month a year, do not eat any drive-through food.

Clean Up

88. Take baby clothes to consignment sales89. Sell Medela Classic Breast Pump90. Each winter or summer clean closet and dresser and donate all ill fitting clothes91. Only buy replacement clothing (each item coming in must be accompanied by an item leaving) for myself92. Clean the car, top to bottom, at least once every other month for 8 months93. Cull books and take to book exchange or friends of public library94. File and label all PD stuff95. Clean rolly basket

Random

96. Take cloth bags to grocery store at least once a month for 6 months.97. Renew subscriptions to Blueprint98. Find a new place and move into it, one ideally closer to Grace99. Clean out email folders once a year.100. For every item not achieved on this list, donate $5 to a charity to be determined.101. Write down 1 thing that made me happy every day.

15. Also read A Tale of Two Sisters by Anna Maxted (I like her and it was on the sale table). I love her books as they are often somewhat unexpected. But this one had ample issues around fertility and miscarriage so not light reading for me.

16. Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers. Sweet and light YA.

17. She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot. Fun. light. Super super super predictable.

18. Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, which is good YA for those rocker girls who think of themselves as so so different.

The next book is Joanne Harris.

I've been cooking more again and eating out less, which is good.

Next week I start the fat farm diet for 8 weeks, meeting that goal.

We are in the midst of planning Noah and Grace's first birthday parties. What kind of food should we serve? I was thinking potstickers, Teri chicken, noodles? Maybe salad?

In prep for their birthday, I've set up savings accounts for Noah and Grace. They aren't 529s because 529s have lots of hidden fees. Just simple ING accounts. But one for each of them.

I bought daffodils the other day. They look GREAT in the new kitchen.

We also bought a Britax car seat on sale since Little Man is getting bigger.

The baby clothes and other consignment stuff is ready to go. The sale is next week. YAY consignment!

I bought a new pair of jeans and a skirt, but only after getting rid of a bag of clothes. I'm low on pants right now.

I had my eyes checked and I've gotten lots of new pairs of glasses, including a couple of pair purchased from the uber inexpensive Zenni Optical.

I finally got my hair cut. I look so much better with reasonable hair.

And I went to Burke Williams, though they pissed me off.

Anyhow, lots of good progress. Spring break is a good time to get things done.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

I read another book:

13. Audrey, Wait, by Robin Benway. It was an ARC, and it hasn't been released yet, but it is way way good. A rumination on relationships and inadvertant fame and how one chooses to respond to things. Good stuff.

Happy thing yesterday was seeing Grace (that's ALWAYS a happy thing). And overall it was a good day, though there were bed-construction frustrations.

Happy thing today was having PD go well. I had to give a whole faculty talk and I was quick, concise, and thorough enough.

12. Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan. Sad, but still light and fluffy.

I signed my will. I got some of the paperwork situated for the dissolution.

Also, we moved to a new house nearer to Grace. Thank god. So lots has been accomplished, with some throwing stuff away and also getting new towels.

I can't recreate lots of the happy things from the week, though i did pay attention t them. Yesterday's happy thing, looking around a full house of people (okay, 3 extra) and realizing how wonderful my friends are.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Monday: Finding a place we really liked. With goats. Even though it wasn't perfect it made me happy (and filled me anxiety).

Tuesday: Payday! Always a nice sign.

Wednesday: Being told that one of the schools would like to keep me on full-time as a coach or full-time as a teacher. I think after last years thing with the Maggot School, I am having a crisis of confidence about work, and that made me feel good.

Thursday: finishing a piece on Scrabble.

Friday: going to writing group. AND having writing finished. (which is on the list, of course).

Saturday: Vicland. It's all I want to say for now, lest I jinx myself. Again.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

I have $16 left on my starbucks card. YAY! I've realized that I LIKE having iced tea, but if I have some in a thermos I don't feel the need to stop. So I made some iced tea tonight and its in the fridge.

Dinner was leftovers.

I need to get better about veggies and salad. Sunday for dinner we had a roast with steamed veggies that was surprisingly good.

Happy Thing from Sunday was the yum of dinner.

Happy Thing from Monday was finding a short story by K. Vonnegut and also getting the books for CYRM.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

I'm still doing pretty well about eating at home. We had fred steak with steamed veggies on Tuesday and last night I had salad. For lunch today, I brought a sandwich and some yogurt.

Also, I've done a fair amount of research about dissolving the domestic partnership, including working up the forms for a marital separation agreement. I should have everything ready to file by the first of the February. YAY progress.

Wednesday's Happy Thing? Knowing I have only one more ARWP meeting. And then an open mic in June, but I can think about that later.

I have to get on top of writing notes to people. And maybe the holiday card this year will be valentines?

Also, I forgot to mention but last week I went to BW and had my eyebrows waxed. They look good, but it was a weird ass experience.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

My happy thing today? having dinner ready when I came home. YAY crockpot. Dinner was easy: chicken, salsa, beans, diced tomatoes. Then I threw in corn at the end. New to me recipe. With veggies. Was yum! Also, had a salad, which was also okay. I mean, it wasn't grilled cheese, but it was good.

Sunday: hiking with Katie, Noah, Roman.Monday: Grace smiling at me in the morning when she woke up.Tuesday: I'm not sure. But in the running is feeling righteous that I'm eating my salad instead of going out for grilled cheese.

Monday, January 14, 2008

The ALA has announced the major children's book awards. And this one won the Belpre award (for the book published in 2007 that made the biggest contribution to latino literature for kids). It was meh, but might be a nice addition to a teacher's repertoire of lit.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

some food prepped (including soup and the biscuits and I did some of the bake prep)

several rounds of dishes were done

sheets changed (that should totally be one of my 101 things -- change sheets once a week. I think where I have duplicates like taking a cloth bag to the grocery store, I'm adding that instead) and washed

went to yoga with the baby

paid a bill and bought the cutest Sandra Boynton book ever.

tried to get formula at Target, but they didn't have the right kind. Grr. That means I'll have to go to Babies R Us tomorrow so I can use the coupon.

Friday, January 11, 2008

1. Finish all of the fleece blankets. I have several chunks of fleece that don't need edging, but is improved by it nevertheless.2. grocery shopping (on the list: stock, milk, cans of tomatoes... exciting stuff!)3. cook soup, precook bake, chop anything that needs chopping4. yoga5. stop at credit union and put some $ in the day care account.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Monday's Happy Thing? Leaving work at 3:03 and getting home before 3:30. I love a smooth commute.

Tuesday's Happy Thing? Noah doing so well with occupational therapy. He was sitting up and gurgling and laughing and playing. He worked hard for an hour and then crashed. What a sweet boo.

Also, I deposited $366 into not an ING account but the credit union. That knocks off 057 for the year.

We've been doing a grand time of eating at home. I think since the first of the year, I've eaten out only once, which is sort of very unusual for me. I think tomorrow I will take my mom out for dim sum before she goes back to ohio. It also reminds me, I need to figure out next week's menus and put together a grocery list.

I just finished book two. 2. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen (1/8/08). Hated it. It's a bloated 19the century gossip girl book. Bleh.

Yesterday's Happy Thing: The rain. I really love rain and we've been so drought-y that it's lovely to see rain. But it also caused our ceiling to leak (oof).

I also started clearing the rolly basket. I have one more drawer to go. It's oddly liberating to throw stuff away!

I spent $32 on two new bras. First I went to VS where they told me I was a 38DD which cracked me up. Then another VS worker bee told me I was

Also we set the Starbucks budget and bought a gift card. Basically I'll recharge the gift card on the 5th day of every month and what is on the card is what we use. After it's gone, it's gone for the month. A weird way to budget? Maybe. But it just might work.